, 1887-05-08


The scene that followed the explosion was
horrible beyond expression. 1t was of short
duration, as tho glare that illumined the
sky and made visible the awful despair of the
hour soon died away, while darkness more
intense than ever settled down upon the
floating hulk, and the victims of the disaster,
manned or scalded, wore borne down by
tho IMPLYING flood, covered with tho bodies
OF the dead and dying. None, apparently, re-
manned unhurt. This casualty takes a soil
tary place IN history; but It transpired Just
Mt n time OF intense excitement connected
with Lincoln's assassination, and it was some
whit overlooked. or the 2 ,141 on board only
7S0 were aftorward found, 1885 having
persisted.
Perry Sunmeryille, Of the Second Indiana
cavalry, has told the story Of his experience
in this terrible affair, as follows:
"My quarters were on the cabin deck. on
the guard to tho left, over md opposite the
boilers. We go: to Memphis on the evening
of April &c. There the steamer unloaded a
large amount OF sugar, after which she ran
up to the coal barge and wns taking in coal,
and that was the last l knew until l found
myself in tho river. In the explosion I must
have been thrown fully 100 feet. l sanli only
once. My first thought was that the steamer
was running close to shore and that | had
ONNh NANSbNN "a y u iii L WIS very muCn
excited for a few minutes, and then / struck
out for the steamer. l had no sooner done SO
than l saw something was wrong on board. l
could see steam and fire and hear screams and
groans proceeding from the boat and the pas
sengers, SO / began to swim down stream.
l had not gone far before the boat was
wrapped in flames The scene that followed
beggars description. Hundreds of passengers,
suddenly reused from peaceful sleep, bruised
or scRlded by the explosion, o. scarcely
able to crawl from battle wounds or
starvation in prison, were throwing or drag
ging themselves from the burning boat into
the deep, swift river, there, many of them, to
find watery graves. The utter despair and
confusion of the hour were unfadingly
wrought on my memory; but I cannot paint
the picture, and must leave it to the inn
agination OF the reader. In swimming
dow the river-I should have drowned
had / not fortunately got hold of n
rail- could see the timber on either bank.
but could not make in to shore. About two
miles above Memphis l succeeded in adding
n large plank to my rail, which | drew
across the from end, hoding to the rail with
my feet and the plank with my hands. Ilay
so near the surface ] suffered extremely from
cold. | was picked up at Memphis, my res
cuer being a colored man, and placed on
DOaTu u DOal. L Ihu Deen Two hours IN the
river, and was so Chilled and numb when
rescued that l could not stand. Besides, 1
had been scalded on the back and bruised on
the breast in the explosion, from the effects
OF which | spat blood for some time. l well
remember my experience in the water. Two
miles below the scene Of the explosion n CUR.
boat passed us, going up the river. The
many victims OF the explosion that We're
close to 1t failed to attract attention: at any
rate, the boat did not stop. A little
later on | heard a horse coming
down the river. When he came close
enough 1 distinguished at least n dozen men
clinging to him. kept clear of the horse, or
rather the men, for fear of losing nv rail.
The poor animal was swimming down stream,
but whether or not those who chung to him
were ever rescued l have no means of know
ing. l was finally overtaken by Jerry
Parker, OF the Second Michigan cavalry,
who for quite a distance SWAN by my side.
All knew Jerry, who was a great ~favorite.
He was astride q barrel, and was as good
humored rs ever, ut least circumstances con-
sidered. We would have cheered him, his
presence so inspired US, but, OF course, that
quito a while, our company getting larger ut
times as tho current bore us down. Jerry
told us to be of good cheer, saying we would
all be rescued. l am glad to say he was
among the number saved
Jan. /, 1885, a portion Of the survivors met
vt Fostoria, o., and effected n permanent
organization, with a view 20 holding ami
versary reunions, the first of which took place
at Toledo, o., April "a, 1856; the twenty first
ami yersary. and the aecond. at Dayton, o.,
April "a OF the present year.